In a bizarre moment, Sr. Advocate Pradeep Rai has lodged an FIR against an online news portal Bhadas4media for being threatened for publishing defamatory news if he does not give Rs. 25 Lakhs. FIR has been lodged at Airport Police Station.

Now Delhi Police has moved to Trial Court has sought the removal of allegedly defamatory articles against the Senior Advocate. Rai is a practicing Advocate before the Supreme Court and also a former Vice-President of the Supreme Court Bar Association twice.

The application is supported by the first information report (reproduced below) that states that the owners of the web-site - Vishwanath Chaturvedi and Yashwant - had approached Rai through an unknown man asking for ₹25 lakh to stop the posting of the said content.

The articles in question have referred to Rai as:-

"प्रदीप राय के काले साम्राज्य का लेखा-जोखा: प्रदीप राय फरार है: शातिर किस्म का शख्स: ब्लैकमेलिंग है उसका पेशा; गैग संचालक: फोन टैपिंग का मास्टर संपादन: जीतेर सम्राट गिरोह के लिए काम करना: नया नटवरलाल: महाठग वकील: नटवरलाल की आधुनिक मुस्कान आदि" (Account of Pradeep Rai's black empire: Pradeep Rai is absconding: Vicious type of person: Blackmailing is his profession; Gag Operator : Master of Phone Tapping Editing : Jeeter Samrat working for the Gang : New Natwarlal : Mahathug Lawyer : Modern Muskaran of Natwarlal etc)

The Delhi Police has filed this application before the magistrate under Rule 3(b)(ii) of the new Information Technology Rules which provides for 'due diligence' by social media companies and portals towards not hosting defamatory content, among other things. A direction has also been sought to retain a copy of the same to conduct a probe in the matter.

The FIR reads as under:-

To The SHO, IGI Airport Police Station, New Delhi Subject Complaint against Accused Persons us 383 384 385 468 469 IPC, 499 IPC, 500 IPC, 501 IPC 502 IPC, Section 3 (1)(d). Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2011, and other relevant provisions of law Accused Persons: Vishwanath Chaturvedi Yashwant runs a portal Bhadas J5news times Sir, 

1. Pradeep Rai Senier Advocate, R/o 2C& 2D White House Apartments, 10, Dr. Bhagwan Dass Road, New Delh 110001 I am constrained to register this Complaint/FIR as I have been made prey to illegal, mala fide, malicious and vindictive acts of the Vishwanath Chaturvedi and Yashwant who runs a portal namely Bhadas4Media in defaming me by publishing the impugned articles on the basis of false and/or wrong and for manipulated and/or misleading fact/documents/ information with the sole purpose of maligning my reputed image. The contents of the complaint are as follows: 
1. Today while returning from Lucknow vide flight no 5E 5072 an unknown person had approached me on behalf of Yashwant and said that They indulged into propaganda and false news against you Furthermore he said that if I do not pay 25 lacs to him he will continue publishing false, malicious, misleading and defamatory articles against you and your family. Furthermore he said that paying him is a better option otherwise Yashwant will keep writing against me and my family and even responding to such a person is of no use. He had also referred to the contents of the defamatory article included grave allegations against me to scandalise or defame my image solely with the purpose of extortion and blackmail. He further stated that I did not respond to twitter message of Yashwant and blocked him and Vishwanth when they tried to bargain in past also, now it is my last) chance. It is pertinent to mention that the impugned article published by the accused persons on their social media handles and on the website Bhadas4Media which had also displayed my photograph. 
2. The URLs/Screenshots/Hard Copies of the impugned defamatory articles are annexed as follows: Following are the links: https youtu be4uga3XrYARI https:www.bhadas4media.com/advocate-pradeep-rai-ka-kamama/ https://www.facebook.com/vishwanath chaturvedi 317mibextid=LOQJ4d/ https://www.facebook.com/vishwanath.chaturvedi 73?mibextid=LQQJ4d/ https/twitter.com/vishwchaturved/?s=21&t=2NcIKu_ax5ZzipVvZxsBXw/ https://instagram.com/vishwanathchaturvedi?igshid-M2RIODB NWFIZA== https://www.facebook. com/vishwanath chaturvedi 73?mibextid-LQQ.14d https:/instagram.com/vishwanathchaturvedi? gshid MIRIODSNWFIZA

pstwitter.com/vishwchaturvedi/status/1663384837108162560?+45&-ZNcKu_ax5ZXpVvZxsBXw/ https://twitter.com/bhadasmedia/status/1664242250010722307 ps newstimes com/india/sanjay-sherpuria-case-tightening-screws-on-thug-sanjay-rai-sherpuna-nephew caled-by-st-for-questioning/ https://twitter.com/vishwchaturved/static

3. The following points have been averred in the impugned articles:

a. That I am the nephew of one Sanjay Sherpuria, who is being investigated by the Special Task force, Uttar Pradesh in various companies of the said person Sanjay Sherpuria

b. That I am the Director in various companies of the said person Sanjay Sherpuria, allegations too in order to harm me and my family. Force. Uttar Pradesh In connection with embezzlement of funds

c. That I have also been summoned by the Special Task Force, Uttar Pradesh D-their social media handles and website also refers two anonymous letters which was being circulated by both the accused persons for a long time in which they have referred me as brother of on Upendra Rai who is no way related to me. They have also levelled several imaginary.

4. It is pertinent to mention that while doing so the accused have maligned my image. I am a Senior Advocate practicing at the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India has served as the Vice President (two terms) of the esteemed Supreme Court Bar Association (Regd) 1 am also the current Chairman of India Legal Aid Centre it is further submitted that I am neither related to Sanjay Sherpuria nor have ever been summoned by the Special Task Force for any kind of investigation, whatsoever. It is further clarified that I am not a registered Director with any of the companies of Sanjay Sherpuria as alleged in the impugned defamatory articles. Hence, the writer has made false, baseless and mala fide claims about me 
5. Given the fact that the accused persons were very well privy of the false, fabricated and concocted contents of the publication: their malicious acts seem to be part of a spiteful campaign designed with the sole purpose to malign my hard-earned reputation and goodwill. 
6. The said articles are freely available in the public domain and thus the accused have proceeded to create false aspersions against my reputation. In addition to said mischievous articles the accused persons are circulating the false, fabricated. scandalous news items. on several social media posts too. In light of the aforesaid facts, I would request you to take appropriate action against the accused in accordance with relevant provisions of law at the earliest for the extortion and threat and defamation using social and online media. Thanking you. Regards, SD- English-Pradeep Rail